[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]With spring here and the weather perking up, many of us have recalled our New Year’s resolutions that we so ardently committed to on January 1, realizing now that our personal pledges went the way of the sun as we slogged through winter’s end.
Trust that you’re not alone. Whether your goal was to adopt a plant-first approach to eating or weave more exercise into your daily routine, research shows that a scant
nine percent of people see their resolutions to fruition.
No shame there: life gets lifey and even our best intentions can fall by the wayside if we’re overwhelmed by our careers, family obligations, household necessities—or an utter lack of drive to emerge from under the covers for that pre-work spin class when it’s frigid outside. However, given that fitness, diet and overall health are the leading resolutions (now and historically), it’s vital to consider
what we’re missing out on if we don’t prioritize our wellness—and to hit the reset button when necessary, no matter the time of year (or even day).
Yes—we all know that the benefits of a healthy lifestyle are legion. What’s less certain is how to sustain our motivation, especially amidst challenges, stress, apathy or let’s face it, when we’re offered a slice of decadent dessert.
Until now. Here are six tried-and-true methods for jumpstarting your motivation and harnessing enhanced health.
6 Ways to Find Health Motivation
1. Replace “motivation” with “discipline”
It’s a familiar scenario: You kick off the pursuit of a new goal with purpose and passion by joining that sleek new gym that recently opened in your neighborhood, planning your week’s nutritious meals on Sunday evening, and even downloading a fitness app. All may go swimmingly for a few weeks until you rise one morning and realize your initial enthusiasm is…nowhere to be seen.
The problem is, motivation can be downright fickle—and fleeting. Like most of the emotions humans experience—excitement, gloom, anger, monotony—motivation isn’t a constant; it’s also subject to dozens of variables that can either stoke it or slay it.
Discipline, on the other hand, is an
action and a verb. It’s what propels you to complete that job task or the final mile on your run when you’re tempted to throw in the towel.
Discipline and self-motivation are also what Harvard researchers identify as the core characteristics that separate high achievers from others.
So, the next time your motivation wanes, remind yourself “discipline over motivation”—and place your feet in the right direction.
2. Consult a professional
There are a host of daily habits you can embrace to cultivate health, but, besides the obvious—obtaining a
sufficient amount of exercise, following a nutrient-rich diet, committing to sleep hygiene, and staving off stress—there are some aspects of your health that require a medical professional’s expertise.
To that end, it’s crucial to be proactive and book check-up appointments (not just when you’re sick but as a preventative measure), as well as preemptive screenings that are aligned with your age, gender, risk factors, lifestyle and overall health, such as:
- Pap smears
- Mammograms
- Colonoscopies
- Hormone tests
- Cholesterol exams
- Skin checks
- Mental health screenings
Your primary care physician or naturopathic doctor can also help you create a blueprint for health improvements—one that’s distinct to
your wellness needs.
3. Exercise the 10-minute rule
It’s all too easy to feel overwhelmed when you consider the entirety of a health goal—whether that’s upping your personal best in weight training, adhering to a solid sleep schedule or learning more about a genetic disease that runs in your family. When anything feels too daunting, motivation can flag and discipline (even with the mantra above in mind) may feel hard to come by.
And yet, nearly anything is tolerable for 10 minutes. Going into an endeavor with this in mind renders it that much easier to push yourself into motion. On days when you feel like abandoning your health aims, tell yourself you only have to
work out for 10 minutes. Convince yourself that you can get up after 10 minutes of reading in bed. Conduct research with your timer set for 10 minutes. Chances are high that once you’ve immersed yourself in the task, you’ll
feel why you made it an objective, experience a burst of motivation—and continue until you reach you reach your goal or attain a level of satisfaction.
4. Rely on your S.T.R.E.N.G.T.H.
Your inner strength is a huge determinant in devoting yourself to a healthy lifestyle, but that’s not necessarily what we mean here. Instead, it serves as an acronym for remaining devoted to your wellness goals, as defined by research psychologist Richard Brown:
- Self-determination, or pursuing agency over your health your way, whether that’s opting for an exercise program that brings you pleasure or following a diet that appeals to both your individual needs and palate;
- Technique, or gaining a measure of competence over your health (like learning culinary skills or honing your yoga practice), which will inspire you to return to it time and again;
- Relatedness, or finding a community of like-minded people or an accountability partner;
- External awareness, or acknowledging your environment, circumstances and the obstacles that may stand in the way of you and your aims, whether that’s a significant other who has a penchant for pizza and pasta or a new child who wakes frequently in the night;
- Novelty, or a commitment to diversifying your routine to preserve your excitement and interest, such as trying an exotic vegetable or a new fitness class;
- Goal setting, or jotting down your objectives and ensuring their intrinsically-based (like feeling enlivened);
- Tenacity, or realizing that perseverance and consistency are the true keys to success, and
- Honesty—about your health status, level of effort and weaknesses (and how you can outsmart them).
5. Set up a reward system
Goal setting is imperative but
reward setting is equally important:
Research indicates that even minor, seemingly “meaningless” rewards bolsters incentive.
Why?
Because receiving even a small reward for your efforts can give you a dose of dopamine that powers the “reward engine” and may keep you on track, possibly even compelling you to up-level your actions. Or, as ultra-endurance athlete Christopher Bergland phrases it, “Neurobiologically, the satisfaction of completing a task creates internal rocket fuel that energizes you to keep working towards your larger goal.”
The nature of the rewards you select, though, is critical. Too often we associate “rewards” with something we can consume, whether that’s a glass of wine after a long day at the office or a piece of cheesecake after a strenuous workout. While
almost everything is acceptable in moderation, think of the other senses you can appeal to and sate. This might mean awarding yourself with a restorative yoga class after a week of CrossFit sessions, or indulging in a massage after reaching your target weight, or spending an afternoon with a friend after completing a particularly nerve-racking doctor’s appointment. Whatever you choose, be sure it doesn’t offset your progress—and makes you feel
good.
6. Focus on habits, not results
True, it’s absolutely
essential to visualize what you hope to accomplish—and to do so often. Perhaps it’s an image of you at your ideal weight and crushing it in your sport or activity of choice. Maybe it’s the mere idea of waking up refreshed. Or perhaps it’s overcoming a health issue that has plagued you for years and seeing yourself relishing life in the absence of it.
That said, concentrating wholly on this “future you” can run counter to your health goals if it demoralizes you when you fail to meet your expectations as swiftly as you’d hoped. Rather, pivot your thoughts and focus on the habits you can take up—and strengthen and refine—that will support this ultimate wish. It might mean getting into the groove of drinking two extra glasses of water per day, or placing your
nutritional supplements in an impossible-to-miss spot, or performing a set of squats, pushups and plank while you wait for your coffee to brew.
Over time, every small, smart decision you consistently make adds up for greater holistic health and nourishes an
I can do it resilience. After all, there’s truth to the cliché “it’s more about the journey than the destination.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_text_separator title="Featured Products" border_width="2"][vc_row_inner equal_height="yes" content_placement="middle" gap="35"][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="174335" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1713113141104{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/maryruths-organics-probiotic-weight-management"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="174336" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1713113166058{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/olly-ultra-womens-multi-plus-omega-3"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="174337" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1713113259039{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/vitauthority-detox-nourish-natural-pink-lemonade"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
